Chapter 112: A Foreign Land

The moment the Teleportation Formation opened, and the large hand paused slightly due to the extreme realm Divine Sense, Wang Lin's body disappeared inside the Teleportation Formation.

The large hand, composed of black threads, immediately dissolved into countless black threads, lingering outside the Teleportation Formation for a long time before finally vanishing completely.

Due to the existence of the extreme realm, Wang Lin became the first Soul Devourer to enter the Living Beings Space from the Deathly Stillness Space. Although his Divine Sense had been refined into a trace of Extreme Consciousness, the essence of the Soul Devourer still remained.

The third-rank Cultivation Country, Huofen Country, is located in the southern part of the Vermilion Bird Star, near the Cultivation Devil Sea. There are few Schools within Huofen Country, only four: War God Temple, Heretic Demon Sect, Luo River Sect, and Corpse Yin Sect.

On this day, atop the Burning Heaven Volcano, located in the center of Huofen Country, a group of people from the War God Temple stood on a massive Teleportation Formation.

The War God Temple has six Nascent Soul Stage experts, firmly holding the position as the number one School in Huofen Country. That year, in the competition for the qualification to enter the Outer Realm Battlefield, the War God Temple overpowered all others and obtained the sole Qualification Token.

The leader of the team this time was not a Nascent Soul Stage expert, but Elder Huo Hongfei, who had reached the Early Stage Core Formation. Perhaps due to his years of Cultivating the Divine Dao, although Huo Hongfei was over two hundred years old, he did not look aged. He was handsome and dignified, resembling a middle-aged man around forty.

The Divine Dao is the War God Temple's top-tier cultivation Secret Technique. Only those who reach the Foundation Establishment Stage can Cultivate it. It is said to increase the chance of Core Formation, but outsiders do not know the specifics.

However, the Core Formation Stage and Nascent Soul Stage experts of the War God Temple have always been the best in Huofen Country, so it is presumed that the Divine Dao has its own miraculous aspects.

Since this Divine Dao Hand Seal has such efficacy, it naturally attracts covetous gazes. However, the War God Temple is too powerful; even if other Schools covet it, they lack the ability to obtain it.

However, as the saying goes, bandits remember for three years and thieves covet for ten, so the War God Temple eventually compromised. They hold an Observation Assembly once every twenty years. Any Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, regardless of whether they belong to a School or not, may come to observe. Whether they can comprehend the Dao depends entirely on their personal Opportunity. The only requirement is that observers must pay a certain amount of Spirit Stones.

In this way, the War God Temple naturally had nothing to worry about and gained a large additional income, without much resentment.

Furthermore, this Divine Dao Hand Seal actually consists of less than a hundred characters, all of which are obscure and difficult to understand, and very few people can fully comprehend them.

The Divine Dao Technique that Huo Hongfei Cultivates was actually a set of Cultivation Techniques summarized from the Divine Dao by a brilliant individual within the School over a thousand years ago, who spent half their life doing so. This Cultivation Technique is not only extremely powerful, but if Cultivated for a long time, it also has the effect of maintaining youth, making it very popular among the War God Temple Disciples.

Several people stood beside Huo Hongfei, the most conspicuous of whom was a young woman. The young woman had a graceful figure, beautiful Phoenix-like eyes, and an exquisite oval face, like a beautiful Fairy. At this moment, her cherry lips were slightly parted as she whispered softly to a tall, handsome man beside her, her eyes filled with tenderness.

At this moment, the Teleportation Formation suddenly lit up. Everyone's gaze immediately focused on it. The light grew brighter and brighter, and three figures slowly appeared inside, gradually becoming clear.

Huo Hongfei frowned and sighed inwardly. He had learned a few days ago that the Outer Realm Battlefield was unstable and could collapse at any time, so he had mentally prepared himself that few Disciples who went this time would likely return alive. However, upon seeing only three people actually return, despite his preparation, he still felt a sense of melancholy.

However, when he clearly saw the figure of Zhou Zihong among the three, his expression softened slightly. This Zhou Zihong was his Disciple, strong-willed. When she proposed entering the Outer Realm Battlefield years ago, Huo Hongfei had strictly refused, but in the end, the child insisted on going.

Huo Hongfei had no choice but to reluctantly agree after giving her some precious Magic Treasures. Seeing her return safely now, he felt a sense of relief.

After the three of them—Zhou Zihong and the others—appeared in the Teleportation Formation, they looked at the familiar scene before them, feeling as though they had been reborn. But immediately afterward, they exchanged glances, and their hearts all became heavy again.

Wang Lin's life and death was their greatest concern right now. They knew that the three of them had already handed over their Soul Essence Blood to Wang Lin, and if Wang Lin died, the connection via the Soul Essence Blood would make it impossible for the three of them to escape death.

After meeting Elder Huo Hongfei, Huo Hongfei glanced at the three and said, "Not bad. Your individual cultivations have all improved significantly. Zihong and Yang Xiong have both reached the Late Stage Foundation Establishment. Lin Tao is a bit behind, but a Breakthrough is in sight. Very good. After this tempering in the Outer Realm Battlefield, your cultivations will certainly improve greatly in the future. Alas, the only pity is that too few have returned…"

Zhou Zihong sighed and said softly, "Master, the Outer Realm Battlefield suddenly collapsed this time, and many Mysterious Species appeared. Once they pounced on someone, their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering instantly. It can be said that only one out of ten Cultivators in the entire Outer Realm Battlefield survived. This incident happened too suddenly. Originally, the harvest this time was quite abundant, but now…" Her expression dimmed as she spoke.

Huo Hongfei waved his hand, looked at the three, and suddenly frowned, saying, "We'll discuss this later. The three of you answer me: Why haven't your appearances changed?"

One must know that within the Outer Realm Space, one's appearance does not age for fifty years, but upon leaving, the fifty years of aging transition is completed in an instant. Even if the Cultivation Technique Cultivated by Zhou Zihong and the others had the effect of maintaining youth, it would be impossible for them to look exactly the same as when they entered.

Yang Xiong, as Senior Brother and the favored Disciple of the Hall Master, immediately spoke upon hearing Huo Hongfei's words: "Elder, you may not know, but Junior Brother Ma Liang previously obtained a bottle of Medicinal Pills. Taking one can preserve one's appearance for a hundred years. The three of us each took two pills."

When the surrounding War God Temple Disciples heard this, they immediately showed envy. Especially the young woman, whose eyes had been fixed on Zhou Zihong's face since she appeared, and who had been suspicious in her heart. Upon hearing Yang Xiong's words, she immediately asked, "Senior Sister Zhou, are there any more of those Medicinal Pills?"

Zhou Zihong glanced at her coldly and said, "You need to ask Junior Brother Ma Liang about this matter."

The young woman felt annoyed inside, but she smiled faintly on the surface and stopped speaking. She secretly thought that Ma Liang, that timid rat, must have died long ago, so where was she supposed to ask him? Clearly, Zhou Zihong just didn't want to tell her.

The man beside the young woman whispered a few words into her ear. The young woman immediately spat lightly, her eyes showing flirtation, and her pretty face flushed slightly.

Huo Hongfei frowned, glanced at the two, and chose to ignore them. He said solemnly to Zhou Zihong and the other two, "Alright, the people have been received. Let's return to the Hall now. The Phoenix Ancestor has emerged from seclusion this time and specifically instructed you to report on the matters of the Outer Realm Battlefield." After speaking, he gave the three of them a meaningful look.

Lin Tao hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Elder, Junior Brother Ma Liang is still behind. The situation was critical at the time, and he told the three of us to return first, saying he would follow shortly."

Huo Hongfei raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of surprise, saying, "Ma Liang? He's also a survivor?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Disciples of the War God Temple all showed strange expressions, especially the beautiful young woman, whose face changed color as she cried out, "Ma Liang isn't dead?"

Zhou Zihong looked strange and glanced at the young woman, saying, "Junior Sister, don't worry. Junior Brother Ma Liang has been in the Outer Realm Space for many years, and his temperament is no longer what it was before. The current him will definitely not continue to pester Junior Sister."

The young woman frowned tightly, shook her head, and said, "You don't understand. Alas, how is it that Ma Liang is still alive…"

Huo Hongfei glared and shouted, "Nonsense! Xu Si, are you hoping Ma Liang is dead? Is that how your Master taught you?!"

The young woman, Xu Si, quickly lowered her head and remained silent. The young man beside her sneered, "What are you afraid of? If he dares to pester you again, you have me."

Yang Xiong sighed and said solemnly, "Little Junior Sister, Junior Brother Ma Liang will absolutely not pester you. You can rest assured on that point." After speaking, he thought to himself, 'That Senior is cold-tempered, how could he possibly take a liking to you?'

Just then, the Teleportation Formation suddenly flashed. Everyone immediately looked over, only to see a thin figure slowly walking out of the Teleportation Formation.

For some unknown reason, a chilling aura rose in the hearts of all the Cultivators who saw this figure. This chill did not come from the body but from the Soul, from the Divine Sense.

It was as if the person before them was a piece of Ten Thousand Year Black Frost capable of freezing the Soul, inspiring awe and fear.

The domineering Divine Sense of the extreme realm caused the Disciples of the War God Temple, as the first group to witness it, to involuntarily gasp in cold air. Even Huo Hongfei couldn't help but have his pupils sharply contract, shocked internally.

The young woman, Xu Si, shivered slightly, a look of confusion appearing on her face. The person before her certainly looked like Ma Liang, but his demeanor was vastly different from before.

After Wang Lin walked out, his gaze swept over the crowd, landing on Huo Hongfei. Immediately sensing the other party's cultivation, he cupped his fists and said, "Disciple Ma Liang greets Elder Huo."

Huo Hongfei's eyes flashed brightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "It's good that you're back. Let's go together." As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Wang Lin.

Wang Lin's expression was cold as he said, "This Disciple has important matters to attend to, so I won't return now. I will go back once I have finished handling my minor affairs."

Huo Hongfei frowned, about to speak, when Wang Lin reached out and tossed a Storage Pouch, saying coolly, "These are the things this Disciple collected over the past fifty years. All Magic Treasures were destroyed, only these Materials remain."

After speaking, Wang Lin leaped up, soaring into the air, transforming into a long rainbow and flying into the distance.

Huo Hongfei took the Storage Pouch, and after sweeping it with his Divine Sense, his face immediately became strange. The items inside the Storage Pouch were extremely abundant. When he looked up again, Wang Lin had already flown far away. He hesitated slightly and did not pursue him. Although he was suspicious, it was best to report this matter to the Hall Master for a decision.

Furthermore, and most importantly, he felt he had no confidence in stopping the other party quickly. That chilling intent that came from the Soul just now made him quite wary of Wang Lin.

Even if he forcibly detained him, if he ended up looking quite embarrassed, he would likely lose face in the eyes of the surrounding juniors. It was simply not worth it. With this thought, Huo Hongfei abandoned the idea of pursuing him.

(The update is late today. I just finished writing, having deleted and revised parts. I'm not very satisfied with this chapter. I will carefully consider the plot later, but one thing I can guarantee is 6,000 characters—not a single one less. Please rest assured and support me. Thank you.)